WATER SAVING TOILETS
WATER SAVING TOILETS
But even in the USA there are toilets and then there are Water saving toilets which we all need to be using when we can.
Toilets throughout recent history have gradually been engineered to use less water from 5 gals to 3.5 gals to 1.6 gallons per flush. The Energy Act of 1992 mandated the gallon per flush at 1.6 gallons per flush(gpf) or about 6 liters per flush. The original 1.6 gpf toilets were horrible and did not work well. Guess the plumbers were happy. But gradually manufacturers figured it out and most 1.6 gpf toilets now do an admirable job.
Manufacturers often times led by the Europeans and Californians, who have water woes, soon began to try to go below the 1.6 gallons per flush US mandate.
Lowest flow toilets are a bit like hybrid vehicles-all manufacturers have been compelled to have them-so Kohler, American Standard, Toto, all the biggies make at least a 1.28 gallon per flush toilet and some even go lower to a 1.0 gallon per flush. Niagara Conservation with their Stealth toilet is perhaps the lowest flow for a single flush @ .8 gallons per flush.
There are dual flush toilets that have a separate lever for liquid and for solid waste. You can also purchase a toilet guts replacement that will make your toilet dual flush.
There are power flush toilets. These use a patented air force system that jets the water and increases the pressure on the waste thus removing the waste down the drain with less water.
Here's how a power flush toilet works,
"With a pressure-assist toilet, instead of an open tank behind the toilet bowl there’s a sealed plastic vessel hidden inside the porcelain tank. After the toilet is flushed, the pressure vessel fills from the bottom using standard water pressure. As water (1.6 gallons or less, depending on the model) flows into the vessel, air in the tank is compressed above the water, “charging” the tank. No special pump or compressor is involved; water pressure creates the compressed air.
When the user flushes the toilet, this compressed air forces the flush water into the bowl at a higher velocity—and shorter duration—than with a standard gravity-flush toilet. This burst of water does an excellent job at removing waste. According to Sloan, its Flushmate pressure-assist mechanism will deliver a peak flow of flush water at about 70 gallons per minute, which is twice the velocity of gravity-flush toilets.
We assume that the toilet of the future will use no water and be totally air driven. That's still a bit out there but good to know that something we use every day but take for granted is gradually evolving to be more Green and protect the environment while saving us $ on our water costs.
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